Graythwaite | The Gardens of Euroka / Graythwaite

The Gardens of Euroka / Graythwaite
A great garden does not happen overnight. It takes time, lots of it and one of the major features of Graythwaite is its gardens. Graythwaite's gardens have had 130 years to mature and it shows. In particular the Estate features over forty mature Morton Bay, Port Jackson and Small Fruited Figs under whose canopy a rainforest has been gradually evolving from seed brought in by birds and bats. A significant number of young native rainforest trees are now on the rise and these have been supplemented by sympathetic plantings by the Graythwaite Gardening Group, who have been maintaining the grounds of the Estate for the past five years, after two decades of almost total neglect by NSW Health. Although it is 170 years since gardening first started at Graythwaite, the gardens are still very much a work in progress. After five years of huge effort by the Graythwaite Gardening Group, the aggressive weed invasion consequent upon NSW Health's neglect has been largely defeated and the shape of the beautiful garden planned by the Dibbs family in the 1870s is re-emerging. While much progress has been made in this battle, there is still a small area of the garden requiring primary weeding and privet removal. The Graythwaite Gardening Group have won a number of significant awards for their work including many placings in the North Sydney Gardening Competition and first place in the Environment Section of the Mosman Small Business Awards. The Gardeners meet at Graythwaite every Sunday at 9.30a.m. (8.30a.m. from December through February). New gardeners are very welcome. All materials and morning tea are provided.

1800s	[ 1900s \| 2000s ]
	1830s	If not already cleared, virtually the whole of the property was cleared of native vegetation by the end of the 1830s with most of it apparently being used for the grazing of livestock.
	Circa 1840s	Thomas Walker planted a substantial orchard on the flatter part of the property bounding Union Street. The steep slope between the orchard and the land immediately below the house was terraced for the growing of vines.
	Mid 1850s	Edwin Sayers established significant formal gardens on the flat ground to the south, east and north west of the house. It appears that by this stage it was clear that the orchard and vineyard were largely failures with the climate being too hot and humid.
	Nov 1855	A bushfire raced over the property which was largely grassed pasture for livestock.
	Mid 1870s	While renovating the house Thomas Dibbs also set about turning the grounds near the house into a spacious and grand parkland. Substantial plantings of figs, pines and other trees were undertaken. This included the planting of figs around most of what is now the western and southern boundaries. At around this time three grass tennis courts were also built on the "middle terrace" below the house.
	1882	Euroka became the home of Thomas Dibbs. At around this time he renamed the property Graythwaite. Subsequently the formal garden to the east of the house was dug up and replaced by two tennis courts.

1900s	[ 1800s \| 2000s ]
	1915	Dibbs offered the property to the State as a Convalescent Home. The spacious grounds and gardens were seen as adding to this purpose.
	1930s	Photographs of the time show the gardens as being very well maintained, with large spreading figs, a number of large pines and other trees surrounded by very extensive lawns.
	1960s	The spreading canopy of the figs shaded out the grass and created conditions for the invasion of weed species mainly privets. A few native rainforest species also started to appear.
	Early to mid 1990s	Clearing associated with the informal creation of a construction track around the southern and western boundary of the property saw the invasion of a host of perennial weed species.
	Late 1990s	Public access to Graythwaite closed off due to illegal entry of construction traffic, the dumping of construction materials around the southern and western boundaries and a lack of funds to maintain the grounds.

2000s	[ 1800s \| 1900s ]
	2001	Public access restored in conjunction with a Streets Alive program to maintain and improve the grounds. This has included the mowing of the large grassed area adjoining Union St, a concerted attack on the weed problem and the planting of native vegetation in an effort to fulfil the 1870s vision of a grand parkland of wide grassy spaces and shady retreats under the canopies of the towering figs and their associated vegetation.
	2005	Local residents, with the support of North Sydney Council, continue to maintain the grounds, restore the old walking tracks and push back the weed invasion.